My Life Ramblings

I started dating my husband about 22 years ago. He was 22 and I was 25 at the time.

I will never forget the first time that I met Brian’s extended family. There was a birthday party at his parent’s house. Aunts, uncles, and cousins were in attendance, as well as Grandma Alice and Grandpa Phil. I was nervous, as any introvert would be when meeting new people.

The party was outside, with tables set up in the garage and on the beautiful patio, surrounded by an array of gorgeous flowers. When we arrived, it was clear we would need to find a spot to sit down and talk with the rest of the family. I’m not the best at socializing, and truly was not sure of what to do and how to get through the next few hours. That’s when my eyes stumbled upon an empty seat next to Brian’s Grandpa, Grandpa Phil.

The Knowing Smiles

I sat down next to Grandpa Phil, smiled, and introduced myself. That was all it took and Brian’s grandpa immediately started telling me stories and talking with me as if I was already a part of the family.

I look back at the memory of the first meeting with Grandpa Phil with fondness. I sat there next to him for probably a good share of the evening. There wasn’t a need to say much, with the occasional nod here and there, followed by a quick response. Grandpa Phil took care of the talking as he seamlessly went from one story to the next.

I remember glancing around at other family members, seeing them smile in our direction and then look at each other as if they were sharing a private joke. I didn’t know it at the time, but Grandpa had found a new audience for his endless supply of tales, and I was it. The rest of the family knew it.

Grandpa’s Endless Knowledge

Beginning with that very first meeting, Grandpa Phil became one of my favorite people. He was always kind, and never one for a loss of words. Sitting next to Grandpa Phil, whether it was Christmas, a birthday party, or just a weekend Up North, was always a great place to be.

Grandpa Phil had a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics. When I say, ‘variety,’ that is exactly what I mean. Grandpa could talk about stories from his time in the Korean War one minute, and then talk about the best strategy to bait a fishing hook the next.

Grandpa Phil would tell about the time in his youth, hopping on train cars to hitch a ride somewhere. He would discuss growing up as a youngster, toasting bread by placing it on the side of a wood stove in the kitchen. Grandpa would then switch gears and inform you that Zebco fishing reels began as a company called Zero Hour Bomb Company that created time bombs. You just never quite knew what he was going to say.

Sometimes I would sit next to Grandpa, listen to a story, slant my head, squint my eyes at him, and wonder if he was just full of it. Were all of his stories true? To be honest, I lean towards the idea that Grandpa Phil always knew what he was talking about. Whether that was the case or not, Grandpa lived a full life, with a variety of amazing experiences.

Grandpa & The Lottery

Grandpa Phil loved numbers. He also enjoyed playing the lottery – specifically the 3-digit and 4-digit games.

Whenever I would see Grandpa, I could ask him, “What numbers are good?” He would respond with something like, “4’s are good. I like 0’s for tonight.”

If it was time for the numbers to be drawn, the family would find the correct channel for Grandpa on the TV. (It was just a given.) He would pull out his notebook or stack of tickets and see if he won.

Grandpa had his fair share of winning, along with losing. It was a hobby for him that he enjoyed.

The License Plate Oddity

My husband, Brian had a great relationship with his grandfather. They had this unique ‘game’ between them where, whenever they would see each other, each would try to be the first to say, “2057L3.”

I’m going to tell you, it was weird at first. The number/letter sequence was literally the first thing each would say to the other, even before saying, “hi.” Of course I asked, “Why do you say that to your grandpa? Why does he say it to you?” As you can imagine, there’s a story behind it.

When Brian was little, he watched a crime movie with his grandpa and there was a murderer. The car that the criminal drove away in had a license plate with the number ‘2057L3.’ The License plate number itself had no bearing whatsoever in the movie. The number was never mentioned at all in the film. The license plate caught Grandpa’s eye and he pointed it out to Brian. From then on, it was a game to see who would remember to say it to the other person first. This was an ongoing game between the two for about 30 years.

It’s worth mentioning.

Missing Grandpa Phil

Grandpa Phil passed away a few years ago, and his absence is felt at every family gathering. He was our center.

It was a very difficult funeral for my husband to go to. As a matter of fact, he didn’t want to attend at first. Brian ultimately decided to go and say his last goodbyes with the rest of us.

Grandma Alice had said that my daughter, Khloe, could draw a picture if she would like and place it with Grandpa in the casket. We took her drawing and reluctantly left to say our goodbyes to Grandpa.

I had given my husband a scrap of paper in the truck right before we had went in. He hastily scribbled “2057L3” on the paper. He gripped the paper tightly in his hands as we entered the funeral home.

It was difficult for all of us, but we went in to say our goodbyes and placed Khloe’s picture next to Grandpa’s hands where someone had added a few lotto tickets. Quickly, without others noticing, Brian added his piece of paper next to Grandpa’s side. Brian was able to smile a little as he looked down at Grandpa’s face. I like to think that, at that same time, Grandpa smiled down on Brian and approved.

Goals for Today:

• Start a New Book
• Work on Pinterest
• Play the Lotto for Grandpa – double 00s in his memory (I’m thinking 400, 4900, 800, 7800)